Going back in her cage. She dislikes going in her carrier for a trip to Maine.

She takes great care of me.

Raising all her head feathers She sways on her perch and says SWAY.

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Hi HollyDec. 21: Ms BBs BOTM campaign.

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

Every birde settle in, it’s a long way out to Uranus. Who giggled?? 2,870,990,000 km (1,783,331,755 miles, Yes that’s in the billions!) to be exact. There are snacks in the storage bins to munch on.

Uranus, the first planet discovered in modern times, was discovered by William Herschel while systematically searching the sky with his telescope on March 13, 1781.

Uranus has been visited by only one spacecraft, Voyager 2 on Jan 24 1986. At the time of Voyager 2's passage, Uranus' South Pole was pointed almost directly at the Sun. This is the only planet in our solar system to be so inclined.

Like other gas planets, Uranus has rings, 13 of them in fact. The brightest is known as the Epsilon ring.

Like Jupiter's rings they are very dark but like Saturn's they are made up of fairly large particles ranging from 10 meters in diameter down to fine dust. Uranus has 27 named moons ranging in size from 789 km to only 5 km. Well it’s a long trip back. We all have time for a nap before we are home.

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

By now every birde should know where we are going today. Yep, we are off to Saturn. The first thing you will notice is the bright rings around this gas planet.

Saturn's interior is similar to Jupiter's consisting of a rocky core, a liquid metallic hydrogen layer and a molecular hydrogen layer. Traces of various ices are also present. Saturn was first visited by NASA's Pioneer 11 in 1979 and later by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Cassini, a joint NASA / ESA project, arrived on July 1, 2004 and will orbit Saturn for at least four years.

Let’s go investigate the rings. What do you see out the right side? Oh, small rocks, big rocks and something that looks like ice mixed with sand. There are 14 rings and gaps around Saturn. They are all made up of the same stuff. Any birdie want to Hula Hoop???

Saturn has18 major Moons and lots of smaller ones not named. We will fly by a couple of the big ones on our way home.

First there is Titan at 2575 km wide. It is just off our right side. It is by far the largest of Saturns Moons. This Moon was first reported and named on March 25, 1655 by a Dutch astronomer named Christiaan Huygens. It is the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found.

Over there on the left is Dione. It is 560 km wide and was first seen in 1684 by Cassini. Just a bunch of rocks floating in space.

Is every birde tuckered out from all this space travel? I am setting the navigation ‘putter to take us back home. I’m taking a nap.

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

Back to Jupiter to see the rings now. It was believed that Jupiter did not have rings like Saturn but it was found that it has very dark ones. The rings were discovered by Voyager 1 in 1979 on its way through our solar system. Later Voyager 2, the Galileo orbiter and the New Horizons sent back pictures of the ring and moons in February & March 2007.

There are 3 main sections named Halo, Main and Gossamer. There is really only 1 ring with no discernable separation.

Most of the stuff in the rings is dust & very small rocks that come from collisions with the moons. A couple of the moons are within the area of the ring. These moons make notches in the rings as the dust & rocks are attracted by the moons gravity wells

Ok, we have to go now. Back to Earth and a calm atmosphere we can stand up in and breathe without a space suite.

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

We wont be getting out of the shuttle today because there will be nowhere to stand. That is because we will be at the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest. Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined (the mass of Jupiter is 318 times that of Earth). It is 142,984 km in diameter & has 16 known moons. Jupiter takes 12 earth years to go around the sun once. That’s a long time to wait for your hatch day!!

It has a very thick gas atmosphere made up of mostly liquid metallic hydrogen toward the center. The outer atmosphere, that’s what we can see, is made up of water, carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen in their gaseous stage.

Jupiter was first visited by Pioneer 10 in 1973 and later by Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2 and Ulysses. The spacecraft Galileo orbited Jupiter for eight years. We are now over The Great Red Spot (GRS) It has been seen by Earthly observers for more than 300 years (its discovery is usually attributed to Cassini, or Robert Hooke in the 17th century).

The GRS is an oval about 12,000 by 25,000 km, big enough to hold two Earths. Other smaller but similar spots have been known for decades. Infrared observations and the direction of its rotation indicate that the GRS is a high-pressure region whose cloud tops are significantly higher and colder than the surrounding regions.

In July 1994, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter after breaking apart with spectacular results. The effects were clearly visible even with amateur telescopes. Jupiter also has high winds that sometimes top 400 mph. Anybirdie want to go fly a kite? We can’t stay here much longer because the shuttles stabilizers are having a hard time with the high winds.

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

Let’s take a moment to eat a light snack. We all know about the next planet out from the Sun because we live on it!!! It is called the third rock from the sun.

So we are on our way to Mars today. All girls to the back of the shuttle so the boys can be up front. It is there planet!!

Mars has a diameter of 6,794 km and is much smaller than earth but has a surface area about the same as the land surface of Earth because of the water covering 70% of the Earth.

Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War and is known as the red planet.

The first spacecraft to visit Mars was Mariner 4 in 1965. Several others followed including Mars 2, the first spacecraft to land on Mars and the two Viking landers in 1976. Ending a long 20 year hiatus, Mars Pathfinder landed successfully on Mars on 1997 July 4.

In 2004 the Mars Expedition Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" landed on Mars sending back geologic data and many pictures; they were still operating after more than three years on Mars. In 2008, Phoenix landed in the northern plains to search for water. Three Mars orbiters (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express) are also currently in operation.

While the average temperature is about 218 K (-55 C, -67 F), Martian surface temperatures range widely from as little as -140 K (-133 C, -207 F) at the winter pole to almost 300 K (+27 C, +80 F) on the dayside during summer.

If you look out the right side you can see Olympus Mons. It is the largest mountain volcano in the Solar System rising 24 km (78,000 ft.) above the surrounding plain. Lets put on space suits & go mountain climbing.

On the left side can be seen Hellas Planitia. This is an impact crater in the Southern Hemisphere over 6 km (3.72 miles) deep and 2000 km (1242.74 miles) in diameter. That was a big rock that hit Mars!!!

We should be glad we are not here during one of this planets dust storms. They can go on for days and have high wind speeds. Scientist mostly agree that there is water (ice) under the two polar caps. And there may be some under the vast central plains.

Hay!!! What was that? Did any other birde see that? Come on, raise your wing if you seen it!! It looked like a green Marten to me.

Hi HollyAll of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

Lets get back in the shuttle and strap in. We are off to Venus today. All you boys keep your wings to your selves. Venus IS the planet of love, It is the second planet from the Sun and the sixth largest.

Venus' orbit is the most nearly circular of that of any planet in our system, with an eccentricity of less than 1%. That means it is almost a perfect circular orbit. The diameter of Venus is 12,103.6 km (7,520440499 miles). That makes it about 650 miles smaller in diameter than Earth but it is 80% denser than Earth. But the gravity is only 90% of earths so you feel a little lighter here.

Venus (Greek: Aphrodite; Babylonian: Ishtar) is the goddess of love and beauty. The planet is so named probably because it is the brightest of the planets known to the ancients. (With a few exceptions, the surface features on Venus are named for female figures.) Venus has been known since prehistoric times. It is the brightest object in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon.

The first spacecraft to visit Venus was Mariner 2 in 1962. It was subsequently visited by many others (more than 20 in all so far), including Pioneer Venus and the Soviet Venera 7, the first spacecraft to land on another planet, and Venera 9 which returned the first photographs of the surface. The first orbiter, the US spacecraft Magellan produced detailed maps of Venus' surface using radar. ESA's Venus Express is now in orbit.

There are no small craters on Venus. It seems that small meteoroids burn up in Venus' dense atmosphere, which is composed mostly of carbon dioxide and several layers of clouds many kilometers thick composed of sulfuric acid. Good thing there is a force field around the shuttle to keep it away or it would literally melt the metal.

Craters on Venus seem to come in bunches indicating that large meteoroids that do reach the surface usually break up in the atmosphere. The pressure of Venus' atmosphere at the surface is 90 times of that on earth.

Hi HollyThe Snowball fight with Charlie & Cheyenne Litle Angel adds a little sparkles to her snowball and takes aim. She throws her snowball at Charlie, hitting him in the shoulder sending red and yellow sparkle-snow everywhere..... Cheyenee's snowball lands with a splat on Little Angel's belly sending snow spraying all over her. "Gotta ya, Gotta ya" she squeals with delight as Little Angel shakes of the snow. "Hey I though you were on my side?" L.A. giggles and smiles happily. "All's far in a snowball fight" Cheyenee tells her with a grin "Come on, let's go see if we can get some hot cocoa and snacks" Charlie calls from behind a bush. "OK, greyt idea" the girls call back. The three friends waddle inside leaving a snowy trail behind them. " OH, OH, we better get that cleaned up before we get in trouble with bringing the outside indoors again" Charlie grabs a cloth to dry up the floor while the two girls gather the snow with a small broom and dust pan. "This way," Cheyenee takes Little Angel by the wing and leads her towards the kitchen... Little Angel gives her new friend a hug. "I am so happy we met" Little Angel climbs up on a chair beside Cheyenee, as Charlie climbs up next to them on his own chair. "MOOOOOOOOOOOM!" he yells loudly, " Can we pleaseeeeeeeee, have some cookies and hot chocolate?" Little Angel enjoys the warmth after playing outside in the snow. "Wait, Momma Deb packed us a few treats; apple slices, nutri-berries and birdie bread" Little Angel reaches into her ever present back pack. She takes out all her sparkles and glue bottle, her flash lite, her coconut flakes, and finally brings out her treat pack. "Don't ask about the other things. Once you are on Bird Channel for a while you'll find out from the others I am the Denis the Menace of the bird world" The three friends giggle and laugh as Little Angel begins to retell some of her wacky adventures and mischief. Like covering King Spot Le' Blaze-atiel in glitter. He's this months Bird of the Month. Maybe I'll sparkle Ms BB too, Little Angel says, then thinks better of that, since she's her brother SKY's fiancee and a whole lot bigger. It'd take too much sparkles and glitter to do a good job" they all laugh and chuckle thinking of how she'd look all covered in sparkles.............. Come tell me a story and visit my new BC friends, Cheyenne and her frother Charlie -240049. A pair of fun loving Sun Conures. hugs and glitter Little Angel

For my BOTM campaign I am going to be using my Star Trek Enterprise shuttlecraft, the Galileo, to take us on far-flung adventures. From the very bottom of Earth’s deepest seas to the far reaches of the Universe.

Dec. 15: Ms BBs BOTM campaign.

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

Every birdie get back in the shuttle and strap in. Today we are going to Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun and the eighth largest planet. It dos have a very thin atmosphere consisting of atoms but they get blasted off its surface by the solar wind.

We don’t want to get out of the shuttle here. The temp can be from -270°F when it’s dark to +800°F in the sun, (-168°C to +427°C). This planet is only 4,880 km in diameter, slightly bigger than the diameter of Earths Moon at 2,160 miles (3,476 km). This also means a 1 lb bird would only weigh 1/3 of a lb. No need to go on a diet!!!

In Roman mythology Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery, the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes, the messenger of the Gods. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across Earth’s sky.

Look over there and you can see MESSENGER. It was sent by NASA in 2004 and it started orbiting Mercury in 2011 after several flybys. Its first flyby in Jan 2008 provided new high quality images of some of the terrain not seen by Marriner 10.

Mercury, like Earth’s Moon is pockmarked with impact craters. Scientists believe the only water on this planet is at its North Pole in the shadows of the big craters there. Hold on. We are going back to the Earth now. The shuttle lands at the KB and powers down. Dos every birdie have there Earth legs back? Lets go to the food tent at the KB for something to eat. I’m buying!!!

Read more about our space travels at nineplanets.org. This is where I got most of the info for our off Earth trips.

Hi HollyBack to the Moon we go. Yes, the artificial gravity unit has been fixed. Maybe we will see the Man in the Moon today. We are crater looking today. To be able to see the largest craters we will be at an altitude of 2 miles above the Moon.

We will start on the backside of the Moon to see Hertzsprung. It is always dark there so BB turns on the shuttles outside floodlights. That is it coming up on the right side. It is the largest at 591.0 km (1,938,976.38ft) (367.23 miles) wide. That’s as wide as the state of Mo. folks. There are many smaller craters inside of this crater. The walls have also been hit numerous times.

Now over to the side facing our Earth for the Apollo crater. It is 537.0 km wide (333.7 miles). Apollo has many smaller craters inside it also. Now we will drop down to just a few hundred feet above the Moon to see some of the smallest ones.

Off to the left is Heymans at 50.0 km wide (31 miles). And over there is Evdokimov at 50.0 km wide. There are lots of craters smaller than these two. Some only a foot across. The bigger the crater the bigger the space rock that hit the Moon.

Did you just feel that bump? We just passed over the highest spot on the moon. It is Mons Huygens at 4.7 km (2.9 miles) high and is named after Christian Huygens, a astronomer. No it dos not have snow on it !!

Over there on the right is Mons Hadley at 4.6 km ( 2.8 miles) high and it is the 2nd highest spot and is named after John Hadley, a inventor. Anybirdie want to get out and climb one of these mountains? There are spacesuits in the storage bins so you can make a moon angel in the dust.

Hi HollyDec. 13: Ms BBs BOTM campaign. Only 12 more days till the big bird in the red suit comes! All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

You won’t be needing warm coats or rain coats today. Today we are leaving the confines of the Earth’s gravity. We are headed to the moon. Don’t worry, the shuttle is space worthy. I had Geordi La Forge do a level 1 diagnostic on it last night. There are little bags attached to all the perches. That’s in case the artificial gravity goes out.

Humans have left almost 400,000 pounds of man-made material on the surface including more than 70 vehicles. Any birdie want a ride on one of the rovers they left here? Humans have brought 382 kg of the Moon back to Earth by Apollo and Luna missions. The Moon rocks are now in collections all over Earth. Why bother!! A bird cant play with a bunch of rocks!!!

Look out the right side windows and you will see the first spacecraft to crash into the Moon. It was the Soviet Luna 2 rocket on Sept. 14th 1959 and it was crashed on purpose. Yes, the Soviets were the first to the moon. But 10 years later, in 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.

On the same side coming up is the crash site of the USA Ranger 4 in 1962. It too was crashed on purpose. The first spacecraft to soft land was Luna 9, USSR, in 1966. Yep, the Soviets were first again! Surveyor 1, USA, soft landed the same year. Many more craft have crashed or soft landed on the moon. Some did not crash on purpose!!!

Apollo 11 was the first mission to land humans on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Keep looking and you will see boot prints and wheel tracks. There are 7 American flags scattered around the moon. 6 of these flags are beveled to be still standing on their poles. There is said to be 1 Soviet flag here that was carried by that rocket that crashed here on September 14th, 1959. There are also golf balls from Alan Shepard's driving practice during Apollo 14, and Alan Bean's silver astronaut pin. Here we have the Fallen Astronaut statuette left by the crew of Apollo 15 to honor the 3-crew members that died in the Apollo 1 crew module fire on January 27, 1967. May we have a moment of silence for Virgil "Gus" Ivan Grissom, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Edward Higgins White, II, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Roger Bruce Chaffee, Lieutenant Commander, USN Thank you.

Out the left side windows you can see the descent stages from Apollo 11 LM-5 (Eagle) and Apollo 12 LM-6 (Intrepid).

All of your votes are deeply appreciated. If I don’t thank you every day its only because there is only so much time in one day.

OK, every birdie in the shuttle. Ms BB sets the nav ‘putter for K2 (Yes, that’s its name) It is the second-highest mountain on Earth. Once you have been to the highest this is a let down. (Pun intended).

It is located on the border between Baltistan, Pakistan, and Xinjiang, China. With a peak elevation of 8,611-m (28,251 feet), K2 is also the highest point in Pakistan. K2 is known as the Savage Mountain because of its extreme difficulty of ascent. It is said that this mountain is harder to climb than Mount Everest. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. It is mostly climbed from the Pakistani side because it is much more hazardous to reach the summit from the Chinese side.

The first serious attempt to climb K2 was undertaken in 1902 by Oscar Eckenstein, Aleister Crowley, Jules Jacot-Guillarmod, Heinrich Pfannl, Victor Wessely and Guy Knowles. They did not make it to the top.

An Italian expedition finally succeeded in ascending to the summit of K2 via the Abruzzi Spur on 31 July 1954. The expedition was led by Ardito Desio, and the two climbers who reached the summit were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnon

Guess what day it is! Its Hump Day!! A perfect day for the place we are going today.

I hope no birdie is afraid of heights cause we are off to the highest spot on Earth. Tomorrow will be the 2nd highest spot.

1st up, (yea that’s a pun!), we have Mount Everest, at 29,035 feet above sea level. In 1856, the first published height of Everest, then known as Peak XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m) was established by the Great Trigonometric of British India. The 29,029 ft that is the mostly widely height accepted was first determined by an Indian survey in 1955. There have been many other measurements taken by other countries but they are all around the same. When you get that high what is a couple feet!!!

In 1865, Everest was named after Sir George Everest by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Although Tibetans had called Everest "Chomolungma" for centuries, Waugh was unaware of this because Tibet and Nepal were closed to foreigners. There is a lot of conflict over the mountain because the international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point. If you were hatched at the top what country would you call yours???

The first successful ascent and decent of the mountain was made by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on 29 May, 1953. 219 Humans have gone to the Human Rainbow Bridge since 1922 when the mountain was first tried to be climbed. Why climb mountains when you can take a helo to the top like Didier Delsalle did

In May 2005, pilot Didier Delsalle of France landed a Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter on the summit of Mount Everest. That is the highest a helo has ever flown.

Thanks for makeing the coffee King Spot. I thought the Royal servents did that for you.

May I help you make the scrambled cheesy eggs and crunchy topping for breakfast! I can do some bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes, ham with red eye gravy. I am real good with french toast, and waffles!

Grab the long underwear and those big warm coats again. You are going to need them again today. The shuttle is taking us to the 2 coldest places on Earth today. I have hot drinks in the storage bins for anybirdie who gets cold. And electric blankets also. If you don’t want to get out you don’t have to. Myself, I am stayen in the pilot’s seat.

Verkhoyansk, Russia is our first stop. According to the 2002 census, Verkhoyansk has 1,434 hardy residents who live in the deep Siberian wilderness. It was founded as a fort in 1638 and serves as a regional hub in cattle breeding and tin and gold mining. Located 1,500 miles south of the North Pole, Verkhoyansk was used to house political exiles between the 1860s and early 20th century.

In January the average temperature is minus 50.4 degrees F and mean monthly temperatures stay below freezing from October through April. In 1892, residents recorded the still all-time low of minus 90 degrees F.

Now back to the shuttle to warm up with some hot drinks and we are off to the 2nd coldest spot on Earth.

Well, here we are in Oymyakon, Russia. Folks in Oymyakon take exception whenever Verkhoyansk lays claim to being the coldest location pointing out that they recorded a low of minus 90 degrees F on Feb. 6, 1933. Depending on whom you ask, 500 to 800 people call Oymyakon home, a three-day drive from Yakutsk. Schools stay open through minus 52 degrees.

The village is named after a local hot spring, which some residents tap during the winter by breaking through a thick crust of ice rimming the warm water. Anybirdie want to take a dip?? Oymyakon's tourism board has promoted the town as a perfect destination for adventure travelers hungry for a taste of the extreme.

Hello HollyGrab some sun tan lotion !!!!!!!! For my BOTM campaign I am going to be using my Star Trek Enterprise shuttlecraft, the Galileo, to take us on far-flung adventures. From the very bottom of Earth’s deepest seas to the far reaches of the Universe.

This should please the tropical birds. That is because we are going to 2 of the hottest spots on earth today. Get those canteens filled. I am bringing a couple coolers filled with ice and LBB root bear. We are back at Death Valley, the hottest and also the lowest spot in the USA. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America because of its lack of surface water and its low relief. It is so frequently the hottest spot in the United States that many tabulations of the highest daily temperatures in the country omit Death Valley as a matter of course.

On July 10, 1913, a record 134 °F (56.7 °C) was measured at the Weather Bureau's observation station at Greenland Ranch (now the site for the Furnace Creek Inn), the highest temperature ever recorded in the world. Daily summer temperatures of 120 °F (49 °C) or greater are common, as well as below freezing nightly temperatures in the winter. July is the hottest month, with an average high of 115 °F (46 °C) and an average low of 88 °F (31 °C). December is the coldest month, with an average high of 65 °F (18 °C) and an average low of 39 °F (4 °C). The record low is 15 °F (-9.4 °C).

Back to the shuttle for cold drinks and a cool down and off to the 2nd hottest place on Earth.

We now find ourselves in Dallol, Ethiopia You will probley want to stay in the shuttle while we are here.

This scorching hot town in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia holds the record for having the highest average annual temperature ever recorded. From 1960 to 1966, Dallol averaged 94 degrees Fahrenheit (daytime temperatures regularly rose to over 100 degrees). This number is an annual average, meaning that Dallol's temperature dips only moderately throughout the year. There is almost never a break from the heat at any time of the year. Dallol is a ghost town today and even animals refuse to live here.

Hi HollyFor my BOTM campaign I am going to be using my Star Trek Enterprise shuttlecraft, the Galileo, to take us on far-flung adventures. From the very bottom of Earth’s deepest seas to the far reaches of the Universe. I have to make the pits tonight. I was at King Spots decorating party at the castle.

Dec. 8th: Put the rain coats away & grab a nice warm coat. Today we are going to 2 of the driest places on our planet. But you better get those warm coats back on. That is because the first one is in Antarctica in an area called the Dry Valleys. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are a row of snow-free valleys in Antarctica located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound. The region is one of the world’s most extreme deserts, and includes many interesting features including Lake Vida and the Onyx River, Antarctica's longest river.

No rain has fallen in this area for nearly 2 million years. That’s a long time I think. Lake Bonney is a saline lake situated in the Dry Valleys. It is permanently covered with 3 to 5 meters of ice. Lake Vanda, is 3 times saltier than the ocean. Everbirdie can float in this lake if you don’t mind being cold.

OK you can take the heavy coats off now. But you might want a jacket because the Atacama Desert can be a little chilly. It is located in northern Chile and it is the world's second driest region. It is a short hop in the shuttle.

The Atacama is a high (most elevations are over 8000 feet) and cold desert, average temperatures range from 0° to 25° Celsius (32° to 75° F). Not many people live here. Not many animals either for that matter. This desert occupies about 105,000 square kilometres (41,000 sq mi) composed mostly of salt lakes (salares), sand, and felsic lava flows towards the Andes.

This desert is rich in metallic mineral resources that humans need such as copper, gold, silver and iron as well as non metallic minerals including important deposits of boron, lithium, sodium nitrate and potassium salts. The Salar de Atacama is a place where bischofite is extracted. (Look it up birds. Its too much to explain here).

Hi HollyHello every birdie!! Bird!!! There's a bunch of early birds on here today!!!

For my BOTM campaign I am going to be using my Star Trek Enterprise shuttlecraft, the Galileo, to take us on far-flung adventures. From the very bottom of Earth’s deepest seas to the far reaches of the Universe.

Dec 7th: Get the raincoats out again. Its going to get real wet today!!! If you bring a lunch keep your bread dry. LOL.

Cherrapunji, in the East Khasi Hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya, holds the honor of being the 2nd wettest place on earth. The average yearly rainfall of the region fluctuates from year to year. The number normally falls fairly close to 450 inches (thirty-seven and a half feet). The majority of this rain falls during the monsoon season, in which huge tropical storms batter the region and unleash massive amounts of condensation. That’s a lot of rain fokes. I wonder if they go though lot of umbrellas?

The locals who live in this region are known as the Khasi. After hundreds of years they have developed ingenious ways of dealing with the extreme rainfall and even turned it to their advantage. For example, they are known for their ability to build living bridges, which involves directing the roots of large trees to grow over rivers. Although this process takes a fairly long time (10 to 15 years), the bridges, if constructed properly, can last for centuries. Wish I could do this with my perches.

I wanta thank every bird for all the wonderful support and words of encouragement.

Dear Holly and FlockilyRoyal announcement! I'd like to announce that everybirdy is invited to the castle Saterday night at 6PM, EST for a decorating party! Bring your homemade decorations for the trees and strings of garlands to hang in the halls! A grand feast will be served (cooked by Lizzie) with all our Christmas favorites! Then we'll have some caroling and of course dancing! The dancing will be the old fashioned kind that they used to do, like the gavotte and the minuet, and the waltz! Don't worry, we will have a dancing mastr to teach you all the steps! Fun at the castle! Be there or be square! Luv, King Spot Le'Blaze-atiel!

Hi HollyPut on your swim sutes or rain gear For my BOTM campaign I am going to be using my Star Trek Enterprise shuttlecraft, the Galileo, to take us on far-flung adventures. From the very bottom of Earth’s deepest seas to the far reaches of the Universe.

Dec 6th: OK, every one needs to get a raincoat from the equipment tent and another box lunch from the food tent. That’s because we are going to the wettest place on Earth and it is also on Hawaii.

Mt. Waialeale on Hawaii's Kauai Island is the rainiest and wettest spot on the planet with an average of over 472 inches or 39 feet (12 meters) of precipitation each year. In 1982, 666 inches (16,916 mm) of rain were recorded on the peak, establishing an official record. Only a few miles away, however, the amount of rain drops dramatically to only 10 inches (250 mm) a year. The name Waialeale in Hawaiian means “Rippling Water”. This mountain is only 5148 feet (1569 m) high. It is the second highest spot on Hawaii. We were at the highest spot yesterday.

Deep faulting and water erosion have carved canyons in the mountain’s flanks. Three valleys radiate northward: Wainiha, Lumaha‘i, and Hanalei. To the west is Waimea Canyon—Hawaii’s “Little Grand Canyon,” or the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” The focus of a nearly 1,900-acre (750-hectare) state park, Waimea Canyon is some 16 miles (26 km) long and 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) wide and is as much as 3,600 feet (1,100 m) deep.

Precipitation at Mount Waialeale supplies numerous waterfalls (the largest of which is the 800-foot [245-m] cascade of Waipo‘o Falls), sending down rushing streams on all sides to feed the only navigable rivers in the state.

Hello HollyBB's day 6th blog Dec 5th: Every birdie needs to go to the food tent and pick up a box lunch for out trip today. It is a long trip to Hawaii and back. That is where the 2nd highest spot is in the USA.

Mauna Kea stands 13,796 ft (4,205 m) above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The first foreigner to arrive at Hawaii was James Cook, in 1778. In 1793, cattle were brought by George Vancouver as a tribute to King Kamehameha I. We learned a little about George Vancouver yesterday. In 1809 John Palmer Parker arrived and befriended Kamehameha I, who put him in charge of cattle management on the island.

On August 26, 1823, Joseph F. Goodrich, an American missionary, made the first recorded ascent in a single day.

In January 1834, David Douglas climbed the mountain. On a second climb in July, he was found dead in a pit intended to catch wild cattle. Although murder was suspected, it was probably an accidental fall. The site, Ka lua kauka is marked by the Douglas Fir trees named for him

With its high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation, and one of the most controversial. Since the creation of an access road in 1964, thirteen telescopes funded by eleven countries have been constructed at the summit. The Mauna Kea Observatories are used for scientific research across the electromagnetic spectrum from visible light to radio, and comprise one of the world's largest facilities of their type. In April 2013, the Thirty Meter Telescope project was approved, and will be the largest telescope ever built.

Hi HollyHello every Birdie Ms BB here with today's blog. Thank you all for your support and encouragement. Back into the shuttle every birdie and strap in. You might want to bring a warm coat with yea and a thermos of a hot drink. We are going to the highest spot in North America & its cold up there!

Mount McKinley or Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,320 feet (6,194 m) above sea level and is in the state of Alaska in the Denali National Park.

The mountain is characterized by extremely cold weather. Temperatures as low as -75.5 °F (-59.7 °C) and windchills as low as -118.1 °F (-83.4 °C) have been recorded by an automated weather station located at 18,733 feet (5,700 m). (Told you it was cold!!!)

This weather station is the third-highest weather station in the world and was donated to the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1998 by the Japan Alpine Club.

Are you glad you brought a warm jacket now??? Want to get out & play in the snow anybirde?? How about a snowball fight?

The first European to see the mountain was George Vancouver in 1794. The first verifiable ascent to McKinley's summit was achieved on June 7, 1913 by climbers Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum. In 1951, Bradford Washburn pioneered the West Buttress route considered to be the safest and easiest route and therefore the most popular currently in use.

Five large glaciers flow off the slopes of the mountain. The Peters Glacier lies on the northwest side of the mountain, while the Muldrow Glacier falls from its northeast slopes. Just to the east of the Muldrow, and abutting the eastern side of the massif, is the Traleika Glacier. The Ruth Glacier lies to the southeast of the mountain, and the Kahiltna Glacier leads up to the southwest side of the mountain. hugs BB 11078

Now I have to go get my shuttle and start todays adventure. Dec. 3rd Back into the shuttle & strap in again. I don’t think you will need a canteen today. It is not really that hot where we are going.

Now we are off to the next lowest spot in the USA but it has water on it. We are now at the Salton Sea (California) -226 ft (-69 m) below sea level in the Imperial Valley.

In 1900, the California Development Company began construction of irrigation canals to divert water from the Colorado River into the Salton Sink, a dry lake bed. The Salton Sink became fertile for a time, allowing farmers to plant crops. Within two years, the Imperial & Alamo Canals became filled with silt from the Colorado River. Engineers tried to unblock them to no avail. In 1905, heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused the Colorado River to swell, overrunning a set of headgates for the canals. The resulting flood poured down the canals, eroding two watercourses, the New River in the west, and the Alamo River in the east, each about 60 miles (97 km) long. Over a period of approximately two years these two newly created rivers sporadically carried the entire volume of the Colorado River into the Salton Sink.

With an average area of roughly 525 sq mi (1,360 km2), the Salton Sea is the largest lake in California

The Hoover Dam in Black Canyon, constructed beginning in 1929 and completed in 1935, effectively put an end to the flooding episodes in the Imperial Valley.

Over 400 species of birds have been documented at the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea supports 30% of the remaining population of the American white pelican. It is also a major resting stop on the Pacific Flyway. On 18 November 2006, a Ross's gull, a high Arctic bird, was sighted and photographed there.

There is no outlet for this sea. Therefor the runoff from farms and agricultural runoff contribute to the salinity of the sea.

Sorry I missed a few blogs due to puter troublesSpot Le'Blaze-atiel,242573 Santa Birdy came early! Mom and I got a new, that's NEW computer! It's fast and furious! Mom actually got it set up all by herself!(I think that qualifies as a Christmas miracle!Hehee!!!) It has so much stuff on it that mom does't know how to use, but is going to try to use! It even has a 'web cam' on it so she thinks we might be able to 'skype' with our birdy friends! I'm so eggsited I broke out in sparkles and infected King Dixie too! Whoo hoo! Mom didn't get to the store, but we are going to do the best we can with what we have for Thanksgiving dinner! She's a good cook, so whatever we eat will be greyt! Tomorrow is the Holiday, so we may only put up pictures of foods we 'wish' we had, but we are thankful for everything we do have including greyt friends like you! Happy crafting! Luv, Spot?

Hi HollySpot Le'Blaze-atiel,242573 Wow! Mrs. Sweetpepper and her husbird,Mr. Kiddo did a greyt job with the pinecone turkeys! We are very happy to see so many of you enjoying the old-fashioned crafts we're doing! Also, many of you have left tips on some differant things that can be done with our craft ideas. For instance, Miss Falco tells us to roll them in peanut butter and bird seed and hang them out for the wild birds! Greyt idea! At this time of the year, we should all be mindful of our wild friends and what the winter months hold for them. Some birds migrate, but a lot don't, so a little eggstra food hung outside for them is a real blessing to our wild friends! Just remember to hang them where the little birds can keep a greyt lookout for the 'birds of prey' out there! We were also glad to see that some of you have actually made some of the craft turkeys in school, you know, back in the 'dark ages'!Hahaha!!! Uhoh, gotta run, mom heard that! Oh, one other tip, remember to pray for those who are in need this year, and volunteer your time to help! This can be the best season of the year when we remember to act out the love of God to others! Happy Crafting, and Happy Giving! Luv, Spot?

November 20th Spotlight on CaringNovemebr 20th Spotlight on Caring Hello every bird, SKY here with our continuing SPOTLIGHT on CARING featuring our good friends Polly, Zippy and their Mom Karen.

SKY; Please continue. Did you get another bird right away? Mom Karen; No, After taking the opportunity of not having pets to paint and refloor the house,we got another budgie. This time thru the family owned pet store “Preuss”; they advertised in Bird Talk and have a well trained staff in their bird room. SKY; When did Polly join your family? Mom Karen; Shortly thereafter, mom was told by another parent at the Middle School that the science teacher was looking to rehome a parrot. This was Polly. SKY; Did you run into any difficulties when you made the choice to add Polly to your home? Mom Karen; Polly came to us rather neurotic. We are her 4th known home. She had been taken to a vet and just started on a pelleted diet. Feathers had just started filling in again. She also had a missing toe.

My husband did a bit of looking on the internet about Quakers. Mom just wanted a larger parrot that might live longer than a budgie. Polly was to be my daughter's bird. They did bond well. Not really understanding the feeding habits of a bigger bird, I may have unintentionally 'starved' Polly initially. She had a food cup FULL of dust or crumbs--but she does not eat dust, crumbs (the cockatiel DOES she eats the pellet dust, crumbs), so I was waiting for the food dish to go down. My daughter was in high school with all the activities of that time of life. Polly did not get consistent attention, though she did appear in a few video projects. SKY; Was there any problems that developed from this inconsistent interaction? Mom Karen; He started pulling feathers again, so I took him to MSU to a vet who taught avian vet medicine. She is the mother-in-law of one of the two avian vets we see at the vet clinic we use. She did not push me to get the $200+ blood work done, and my spouse is not keen on spending on pets, so that was not done until this vet retired and we saw our current vet. He did NOT ask, just did and charged. But that began me becoming VERY familiar with the clinic.

Polly needed vitamin A injections a couple times each year. We tried several kinds of collars. We tried the vet version of prozac. Eventually we took him off the drug because he was too lethargic. Thru the process of being on this drug I had to learn HOW to inject him. That was a bit nerve wracking for me. See you next week with the conclusion of our interview with Polly, Zippy and Mom Karen. with a heart filled with love SKY

Hi Holly sweetieSpot Le'Blaze-atiel,242573 Well, today I have two special guests, Taz and Ranebeau! We are making a bird ornament! 1. Fold a piece of craft paper in half. Lightly draw an outline of a bird on the paper. Make sure that the head and tail are on the fold. 2. Cut out the shape, then cut a half inch slit where the wings would come out. 3. Take another piece of paper, the same or as we have done, a different color. This paper should be about 5inches long. Fold it in half. Cut a curve in the open end of the paper. 4. Open the paper and fan-pleat it in a very fine pleat, slightly less than the slit on the bird! 5. Push the fan through the slit so the fold lands in the middle of the bird. 6. Gently pull the bird out about half an inch to give it a 3 D effect. 7. Bend the wings slightly up and spread out the fans. 8. Draw an eye on each side of the bird. 9. Punch a small hole at the top of the birds back and put a ribbon through for hanging. You have now made a bird ornament! If you or your parronts are not very crafty(Chyna) just make a single layer bird by drawing a bird shape out of paper, cutting it out and hanging it. Different types and patterns of paper may be used! Soon you will have a whole flock of birds to hang proudly on your tree! Happy crafting! Luv, Spot?

Hi Holly sweetieSpot Le'Blaze-atiel, 242573! Today's blog is not about how to make a tree, or any ornament. Today, I want to talk about friendship and love. You can't imagine how sweet it is to see all my friends on BC supporting my campaign! When I see all the votes, sometimes I want to cry. Not from sadness, but from the pure joy of havinb such wonderful and loyal friends! I'm enjoying sharing these crafts with you and hope you all are trying them at home with your flocks and your parronts! After all, making decorations for Christmas reminds us on a daily basis of the love God showed for us in sending His son to show us how to live! I think the world has suffered a lot through the commercialization of Christmas. Bringing back the idea of a home made Christmas brings us together(just look at my friends who have come over to help!) in an atmosphere of joy and peace and love. Special thanks go out to all of you who have helped in unseen ways, particularly my adopted G-ma, Deb! Seeing all of you working and producing such beautiful ornaments truly make the tree special! OK, enough mush! Tomorrow, Taz and Ranebeau are coming over to help make bird ornaments! Be sure to look at the trees in the gallery so you can see the variety that can be made! Happy crafting! Luv, Spot?

Hi HollySpot Le'Blaze-atiel,242573 Here's Saturdays blog early! As you can see, we are making table top stand alone trees! They are very easy, even though they look hard! 1. Decide how many sides you want. Two pieces of paper, folded and cut into a tree shape make a very simple tree. 2. staple or sew the creases and unfold to make perpendicular sides. More pieces of paper make a fuller tree. 3. Once you have as many sides as you want, you can cut out ornament shapes, like stars and balls and glue them to the tips of the branches. My preference is three pieces of paper, cut and unfolded. This gives you more room than the one in the picture to decorate! You can also add little tiny bows and a star or angel on top! Again, let your imagination run wild! To answer a couple of questions, craft paper is the same as construction paper, and you can add glitter if you want, just stay away from Little Angel! Also, you can make a beautiful tabletop display with cotton ball snow, and lots of tiny trees! Sprinkle a little glitter(preferably white) on the 'snow' and it will look quite fetching! Happy crafting! Luv, Spot?

Hi HollySpot Le'Blaze-atiel,242573 Hi, everybirdy! Today, we will be making 'Victorian cone ornaments'! They look complicated but are very easy. I have Pringle and Sam I Am to work on them with me! I'm sure they will do a fantastic job! 1. Cut a piece of craft paper in a cone shape. (Put a pencil on a string. Hold the string on one corner of the paper and swing the pencil lightly over the paper in a semi-circle. Cut it out.) 2. Decorate the cone with gold or silver edging, or ribbon. 3.Using glue carefully, glue on or, if you're talented, draw designs on the paper. 3. Glue(or staple) the edges of the cone together and put a ribbon or piece of fishing line on the top by putting a hole on each side of the cone top. Take care and put the holes on the sides away from the join so you won't see it after hanging the ornament! 5. Put goodies in the cones, and hang them on your tree! You can also put them in glasses on your table with everybirdies name on them as a party favor your guests can take home! You can do them in any color you want, but again, mom wants that co-ordinated decorator look!Hehee! Happy crafting! Luv, Spot?

Little Angel sneezes so hard she knocks all the bottles of sparkles onto the floor. Again she sneezes as they echo all around the Great Hall,the sparkle bottles opened up upon hitting the floor and with Little Angels loud windy sneezing fits,the glitter rises softly into the air and scatters in a million different directions of Autumn like color,like leaves falling from the trees,catching the sunlight coming in from the large castle Great Room Windows! King Dixie can feel all the glue just landing on his rain gear with heavy wet glue-y splats and he quickly pulls his hood down to cover his head! After he listens a long while and everything seems quiet,King Dixie uncovers his head and looks over to where Spot sits. His eyes pop open in disbelief! Spot is just sitting there,his snow white crest feathers a multitude of sparkling colors,a rainbow bouncing off his head from the bright sunlight seeping in through the large castle windows. Little Angel pulls herself up from on top of the glue bottle. Astonished to see she has sneezed herself into a nice predicament of splatters of glue here and there all over her belly and chest areas with blue glitters shining up her front like a royal vest! Laughing she gets herself in a standing position and as she turns her head towards King Dixie and Spot,she drops her beak low in horror as Spots eyes meet hers and she sees the mess. Poor Spot not only has sparkles on his crest but all over his beautiful feathers, from head to tail. "Little Angel," is all Spot is able to get out of his beak. 'Momma Rea is going to be upset to see this mess" indicating the sparkling glitter all over him. Little Angel tries hard not to giggle but it is just too funny to hold in her laughter. " Spot, you look wonderful, just like a Christmas tree ornament." King Dixie quickly takes off the raincoat and rushes to Spot. "Guards please bring us some water and wash clothes." The guards arrive carrying buckets of water and clothes. "Little Angel we assume?" they ask King Dixie gives Little Angel a cloth. "Let's get this off before it dries." "WAIT I have an IDEA..." "OH NOOOOOOOO" yells SPOT and King Dixie in harmony. "But just wait until I tell you my idea first.........." luv SPOT

Hi, The Spotlights have returned to BCSpotlight on Caring with Polly, Zippy & Mom Karen Hello every birdie, it is SKY with this weeks SPOTLIGHT on CARING with my goofy, fun loving buddies Polly, and Zippy and their Momma Karen SKY; When did you first become interested in birds? How did you become a bird owner? Momma Karen; My grandmother had a pair of budgies that she allowed free in the house when I was young. They would go to her and 'talk' with her, imitate and call the outdoor birds. Grandma also fed the outdoor birds and would have jays and other birds sit on her as she offered them seeds. Seeing the different birds going to her is what started my interest. Sky; Please tell us all, when did you first join Bird Channel? Polly; Momma joined B.C. in 2008.

SKY; How are you involved with birds in general? Momma Karen; I just talk about birds all the time in the various social settings I find myself in. Sky; Momma Karen, could you tell us about the birds in your life, both past & present? Momma Karen ;As a child I had a budgie that I had purchased from a dime store. Somehow it ended up with mites, I think. This was back in the 1960s, so there was no vet care and I was very ignorant. The poor thing died when I was on vacation with my family. He was well tended by the before mentioned grandmother. After my 5th human child, the family wanted a pet. Friends were breeding budgies at that time and gave us one for me taking care of the birds (and mice, and rabbits) while they were on vacation. I learned about the sensitivity of their breathing with this one. I moved our 'pet' back into the family space too soon after spraying for lice—we were having great difficulty getting rid of lice. About the time Orion died, Loki was hatched. The same friends let us have a 'replacement'. Still learning about avian vets, Loki lived for 8 years, but died because of a tumor. We had not found an avian vet. to be continued next week with my heart filled with love SKY 224183

Hi Holly & family!Hi and thanks so much for writing! Sorry it took me a few days to reply, unfortunately I don't come on Bird Channel as often as I like, so accept my humblest apologies for not replying sooner.

Yes I would love to chat with your mom about Severe Macaws. I have quite a flock as you can see from my profile. Please feel free to write me at my email address, I reply to that much quicker!

The Castle Guards quickly open the gates to allow SPOT and Little Angel to pass by. They smile politely with a concerned look to their eyes. Every time Little Angel visits something happens. Maybe today she won't get into any mischief. "Oh No here comes Little Angel and with all that glitter and glue! I have got to find a place to hide or find a nice raincoat so that if, she decides to take out the glue and glitter and there's some kind of mishap I won't be getting it all over my feathers!" King Dixie runs to don a long raincoat, hanging in his closet that has a nice deep hood on it so he's totally covered before he goes down and welcomes Spot and Little Angel into the Castle. "Welcome Spot" King Dixie calls as he descends the long winding staircase. Shaking wings with Spot, then giving him a big Conure welcome hug. "I'm happy to see you two." King Dixie throws his wings around his Little Angel, giving her a soft beakie kiss. Little Angel smiles as she carefully opens the glue behind King Dixie's back. "Little Angel, what are you planning to do with that glue in your wing?" "Nuffin. I was just checking it, that's all" Little Angel says with a sassy grin. "That's good" King Dixie says with a sigh. " we don't want any glue and glitter accidents, today!" King Dixie leads the two friends into the large hall where the preparations for Thanksgiving are under way. "I brought some colored leaves so we can make a center piece for the Royal banquet" L.A. piles them onto the table. We can glue them to a paper plate and add sparkles and maybe a few pine cones." She looks at the leaves and says, "I have an idea King Dixie" L.A. looks around, " DIXIE? SPOT? Where did you go?" "Here" they say from behind a big armchair, " we thought maybe we'd dropped something way over here." "Ok come on" L.A. says grinning happily. " How much mischief can we get into making a decoration?" Cautiously Spot and King Dixie come out of hiding. "Ok, we will all work together on this" Spot says getting a paper plate from the big craft cupboard. He takes some craft paper, pine cones , and ribbon to the table.

Little Angel claps her wings eggcitedly as she lays everything out neatly. King Dixie takes the paper plate and holds it while L/A. squirts glue onto it. Spot lays red, yellow, orange and crimson leaves in the wet glue. Next King Dixie places the pine cones in a pretty arrangement. "All we need is sparkles now. L.A. opens the orange, green, red and yellow bottles. "Just a second, we need the blue sparkles." she races tot he craft cupboard and hurries back. Suddenly Little Angel trips on a toy laying on the floor, landing with a splat on the opened glue bottle sending wet, sticky glue flying all over SPOT and King Dixie. "AHHHH, AHHH CHUUU" L.A. sneezes causing the sparkle bottles to tip over and...... luv Spot

Hi HollySpot Le' Blaze-atiel peaks out from behind his night time cage cover as the light begins to filter in through the window. Quietly he slips out of his cage and flies to the table where he has all the decorations and craft materials sitting out in neat piles. "HELLO!" calls Little Angel as she knocks on the front door. " SPOT, you up yet?" Spot flies to the door and quietly opens it. " SHHHHH, Little Angel, Momma is sleeping. She doesn't feel good today so I thought we could go visit our friends and let her sleep for a while longer." "Greyt idea Spot. I have an idea. Why don't we visit King Dixie in the Castle for a while?" Little Angel smiles at her own idea. "Ok, I'll leave a note for Momma Rea first and we can head off on our way to the Castle." Spot carefully writes a note and leaves in plain sight. Spot and Little Angel close the door softly and walk out into the dull, damp morning. The sun peaking out occasionally at them as they walk to the BC Castle. On their way Little Angel gathers some colorful leaves to make a decoration for the Thanksgiving Banquet. "Look" Little Angel says happily, as she opens her pocket on her jacket, " I have glue and sparkles" "I wanted to ask you about that. Ipo stopped by last night and she had sparkles on her tail feathers. Do you know anything about that?" Spot asks raising and eye brow. "Well, ahhhhh. Yes I sorta do. I was stopping by to visit Ipo and I tripped on a shoe on the floor and somehow the lid on the glue popped off and the glue, and I went flying through the air and it landed on Ipo's tail....Ok. I'm busted " Little Angel says with a stomp of her foot in annoyance. "I stopped to visit Ipo and she was asleep. I decided to surprise her by making her tail look all pretty and glittery with sparkles." Spot shakes his head. Poppa Sky had said she was hard to keep out of mischief. Soon the Castle comes into view. The guards standing tall at the gates, smile as they see Spot with Little Angel. They remember all too well her Reign as BOTM Queen. "I wonder what we'll get into today???" King Dixie says looking out the Castle window...

Hi Holly sweetieSpot Le'Blaze-atiel,242573 Today, I just had to show ya'll what greyt snowflakes the girls made! The variety is endless, and we're not done yet! In the upper left hand corner, I wanted you to see an easy 3D snowflake! All you do is cut 2 of the same designs(put two pieces of paper together and cut them out at the same time!). Then cut a smaller one for the middle. Stick them together with a button, or glue, after ironing them of course! Then simply pull the 'leaves out a little from the background! These are especially beautiful in a centerpiece on your table, or on a wall near your tree! Tomorrow, I'm going to show you one with a different kind of cutout! I'm hoping to get Miss Chipper to help with that one, cause her beak is uniquely appropriate for this design!Hehee!!! That's all I'm saying till tomorrow! Make a blizzard of snowflakes and have a greyt day! Remember, all you hook billed birdies can easily design your very own snowflakes. Have fun and be creative. Has anybirdie seen my Aunt Little Angel? She's out there someplace with glue and SPARKLES--a dangerous combination. Luv, Spot?

Hi Hollypot Le'Blaze-atiel Today, I'm taking a little break from making ornaments. I want to recognise our troups around the world! Monday is Veterans Day in America, and Remembrance Day in Canada. So I thought it a good idea to spend a little time with our guys in uniform around the world! The profile picture today is a soldier we all know and love. At least we know him through his featered brother, Panther! Yes, it's Kevin! Just like millions of others who have taken time out of their lives to serve and protect our country and our way of life, he has joined the army! We just want them to know that we all pray for them and remember them. They are far away, but close in our hearts! I know many of you have family and friends serving in the armed forces. I'd like to suggest that a touch of home would bless them and bring smiles to their faces! So, all of you who have learned to make heart ornaments and mitten ornaments, make one and send it to your family and friends serving in the armed forces around the world! November is remember the troups month, so it's not just a day, and we should remember them with love and respect all year! With much love and grateful hearts, we salute our troups! Spot Le'Blaze-atiel!

Hi Holly sweetheartSpot Le'Blaze-atiel, 242573 Today, in the profile picture you can see several different types of the mittens! At the top left, you see a line of mittens made into an advent calendar! The numbers are the days. Each day, you slide one over leaving a space between it and the next mitten. Each day, on the back of the mitten is written a Christmas treat for your mom to give you as you wait patiently for Santa Birdy to get here! Fun to look at, and the treats keep you checking the calendar each day!Hehee!!! On the top right, you can see three eggsamples of the cloth mittens. Notice that these are hung with clothspins! Fill them with treats and when your friends come over, give them one to keep and enjoy! At the bottom, you can see all white mittens(craft paper) that can be decorated in many, many ways! I, birsonally like the way they look together with their different decorations! Many thanks to Boo Boo and Cori, who worked very hard to decorate and cut out and sew the differant kinds of mittens! Enjoy making and hanging them in your house! One tip: Think of one of your friends as you make them, and pray for them and their flockilies! Luv, Spot?

Hi Holly sweetheartSpot Le'Blaze-atiel! Good morning or afternoon! As you can see, Cori and Boo Boo helped out today with the mittens! These can be made from material or paper! To make them out of material, simply cut two mitten patterns out and put them right sides together. Then sew around the sides, turning down the top and stitching a hem in the open part! Turn them right side out and decorate with whatever trims strike your fancy! If you make them out of paper, cut out one mitten pattern and decorate it any way you like! Again, we made blue mittens with gold stars on them for that co-ordinated designer look! I'd like to thank my helpers today, who also made a mitten for our furball friend! Also, if you make the material mittens, you can put bird treats in them and give them to your friends! I'd also like to report that Boo Boo restrained herself with the glitter, eggcept for one unfortunate incident with the glue and blue glitter(check out the back of my head and neck) she was very neat and tidy. (Cori was surprised, but I think it was the look mom gave her after the 'incident' that calmed her down!Hehee) I do sincerely thank all of you for your support and wish you joy in making your ornaments! Luv, Spot?

Hi Holly dearSpot Le'Blaze-atiel here! Everybirdy did such a fantastic job on the hearts that I decided to show you an eggsample of one that I know Chirps would have liked! You all know how she loved polka dots!Hehee!!! Anyway, it's also an eggsample of what you can do if you let your imaginations run wild! Tomorrow, I plan to start making mittens to hang on the tree! I think Cori, and Boo Boo would be greyt helpers on these! So, check by and see us working on mittens as decorations! Bring your glitter and glue, and safety scissors too!Hehee! Little Angel, you be care with that glue! OH NO!! Too late, look out.........Well so much for the Sparkles she had hidden in her pocket. Little Angel Momma Deb told you not to take sparkles with you to the Castle with King Dixie. Now you are you're a glow in the dark, multi-coloured birdie lite. " heheheheh Luv, Spot?

PS. Ya'll will never truly know how much I love all of you and thank you for your support of my campaign!

Hi Holly sweetieSpot Le'Blaze-atiel 242573 To make a heart ornament, simply fold whatever color of craft paper you want, and cut out a heart shape. Then open it up, and using a small brush, brush on Elmer's glue in a pattern you like and put glitter on it. Or, cut out differant shapes, and stick them on with the glue! Then you can put ribbons, or any other decorations of pictures you like on them. As you can see, Parker, Tweety and I chose a red heart for all of ours so we would get that co-ordinated decorations look! You can make individual heart ornaments, or string them together in a garland effect, which can be used on your tree or on a mantel, or anywhere you'd like to put ornaments to brighten up your house! Let your imagination run wild! I'd like to thank Parker and Tweety for coming over and making hearts today! Have fun with yours! Luv, Spot?

hi holly i am Spot i need your votes to help meas i try to become next months Bird of the Month. Spot Le'Blaze-atiel, 242573 Hi Everybirdy! Imagine my surprise when mom went on the 'puter and I was in the spotlight as BOTD! Wow! Thank you everybirdy! Today, instead of my BOTM blog, I'm going to go everywhere and thank my friends for this honor! Tomorrow, Mr. Tweety and Parker will be joining me in making our first decorations! We'll be making a heart ornament that can be hung individually, or strung together as a garland! Bring all your favorite trimmings to go on your hearts! The choices are as big as your imagination! You can get gold or silver rick-rack trim, or whatever you want for your hearts! Look around your house first for free stuff! Most trims can be bought cheaply at a dollar store! Some of them come in bags with plenty left over for more projects! Let your imaginations go wild!

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